Palestinian President Abbas skirts apology for Munich attack

By FRANK JORDANS
Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has expressed no regret for the deadly attack by Palestinian militants against Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics half a century ago. Eleven Israeli athletes and a German police officer died after the Black September group took hostages at the Olympic Village in 1972. At the time of the attack, the group was linked to Abbas’ Fatah party. Asked Tuesday whether as Palestinian leader he planned to apologize for the attack ahead of the 50th anniversary next month, Abbas responded by citing allegations of atrocities committed by Israel since 1947. Speaking alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz after a meeting in Berlin, Abbas described Israel’s action as “Holocausts.” Scholz later called the comments “unacceptable.”